Lost to Cancer: Prolonged Grief in Young Bereaved Spouses and Partners

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center2 sites in 1 country60 target enrollmentJanuary 2009

ConditionsGrief

Overview

Phase: Not Applicable
Intervention: Not specified
Conditions: Grief
Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Enrollment: 60
Locations: 2
Primary Endpoint: To determine the rate and levels of prolonged grief in young bereaved spouses/partners of cancer patients
Status: Completed
Last Updated: 14 years ago

Overview Investigators Eligibility Criteria Outcomes Sites Similar Trials

Overview

Brief Summary

The purpose of the research is to learn more about the experience of grief in young bereaved spouses/partners. Recent research has shown that young bereaved spouses/partners experience grief uniquely from other age groups, but it is still unclear how certain factors affect the experience of grief. The investigators research team is interested in studying how the psychological factors of trauma, personality, and meaning of the loss affect grief reactions in young spouses/partners after the loss of a spouse to cancer.

Registry

clinicaltrials.gov

Start Date

January 2009

End Date

August 2011

Last Updated

14 years ago

Study Type

Observational

Sex

All

Investigators

Sponsor

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

•Participants must be at least 20 years old and no older than 49 years and 11 months old.
•Participants must have lost a spouse/domestic partner to cancer 6 months to 3 years earlier.
•Participants must be able to give informed consent.
•Participants must be able to comprehend English to complete study assessments.

Exclusion Criteria

•Major psychopathology or cognitive impairment likely in the judgment of the research staff to interfere with the participation or completion of the protocol.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

To determine the rate and levels of prolonged grief in young bereaved spouses/partners of cancer patients

Time Frame: conclusion of the study

Secondary Outcomes

To determine associations among prolonged grief, personality characteristics , previous trauma, & subjective meanings of the loss to the bereaved spouse in young bereaved spouses/partners of cancer(conclusion of the study)
To evaluate whether unique themes emerge among those reporting prolonged grief(conclusion of the study)
To evaluate whether unique themes emerge among those reporting obsessive and histrionic personality traits(conclusion of the study)